100 Today and 364 Days After That

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Playing hooky was almost as exciting as it was for Ferris Bueller for one Carlsbad man who found a year’s worth of chicken sandwiches more rewarding than the 9-5.

We’re talking Chick-fil-A and an entire year’s worth for those who were patient enough to wait nearly 24-hours for it.

For the grand opening of Chick-fil-A’s newest Mira Mesa location the chicken sandwich-guru’s gave away free chicken combos for a year to the first 100 adults in line at 6 a.m.

Eric Gustafon, Carlsbad, didn’t think twice about taking the day off work to earn his chicken.

“It’s a good story to tell friends and when I’m an old man I can talk about the time I camped out in a parking lot and ate a bunch of food… If I don’t clog my arteries first," he said.

Chick-fil-A started the promotion seven years ago to introduce costumers to their now famous recipes. Since then, Chick-fil-A fans have arrived more than 24 hours in advance of an opening carrying tents, lawn chairs, computers, TVs, and couches to make their wait more comfortable and entertaining.

Ramond Garcia, Bakersfield, was ready to sacrifice to make it on time.

“We left Bakersfield around 1:30 in the morning, drove down here, and stayed up all night to set up our stuff to get ready for the big event,” he said.

There was just one catch -- once participants got there, they were not allowed to leave the premises until the store opened. All those who did not make the 100-person cut got to chow down on plenty of fresh Chick-fil-A as the countdown to the opening continued.

Not only did the company give away $26,000 in free food, but 65 new jobs will open with the new location, which will boost the economy during these challenging times.